【话匣子英语】工作与生活

毛拉和哈皮在说如何平衡好工作和生活的关系，我们都要当工作狂吗，当然不了！

 

Maura: So today we are going to talk about the workplace in North America.

 

Harp¹: Yes. We’re gonna start with talking about the work-life balance, then we’re going to talk about some perks² that companies are offering, and we’re going to end with talking about how people change jobs.

 

Maura: Right. So we’re gonna focus on different trends that are happening in Canada and the US in the workplace.

 

Harp: Let’s get started.

 

Maura: All right. So first we’re going to talk about the work-life balance. And I think this is so important.

 

Harp: Definitely. I think it’s so important to keep a good balance between working and living and enjoying life.

 

Maura: Right. And that’s pretty much exactly what it is. It is knowing that you have to go to work and work is important, but it’s also important to spend time doing the things that you like, and relaxing and enjoying yourself. So you have to have a balance between these two things.

 

Harp: Yeah, definitely. It’s important not to be a workaholic and spend 60, 70, 80 hours in the office or doing work. It’s important to have a good balance.

 

Maura: Right. We do have a lot of workaholics though, especially with technology and having a smartphone with you all the time. But more and more, people are realizing that it’s not healthy for you to work that much. You have to have a little bit of play time.

 

Harp: Exactly. You have to have downtime, time to relax and just enjoy life and not think about work.

 

Maura: Now, I know that there are some things that the workplace, or someone’s particular place of employment, is doing to make it easier for people to have a better balance between their work and their personal life.

 

Harp: Well, companies are doing a great job of encouraging work-life balance. One of the big things they’re doing is allowing for flexible time, or flex³ time. And basically what this means is that there are core business hours. So depending on the company, it can vary between 10 o’clock in the morning to 4 o’clock in the afternoon or a little bit of a variation, but those are the core business hours; everyone has to be there for that time. But employees are allowed to choose what time they start and if they start really early, they can finish early. If they start later, they can finish later. So that helps people avoid traffic. That helps people if there’s something that comes up in their life with maybe their kids and a babysitter or daycare. They’re able to manage it better.

 

Maura: Really, it makes so much sense, because when you have employees that get to choose something like that, it just makes them feel more appreciated at work and more responsible for the work they’re going to do when they’re there.

 

Harp: For sure. My company has flex time and I love it. If I have something, maybe a dentist appointment, to go to in the morning, I don’t need to tell anyone. I get there by 10 o’clock and I do my work and I finish later and it allows for more flexibility⁴. No one’s watching what time I get there, what time I leave. I’m responsible for myself. It gives me a feeling of independence.

 

Maura: For sure. Now, another trend that’s happening is that sometimes people are able to work from home on occasion.

1 harp   

n.竖琴；天琴座

参考例句：

• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
• He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。

2 perks   

额外津贴，附带福利，外快( perk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perks offered by the firm include a car and free health insurance. 公司给予的额外待遇包括一辆汽车和免费健康保险。
• Are there any perks that go with your job? 你的工作有什么津贴吗？

3 flex   

n.皮线，花线；vt.弯曲或伸展

参考例句：

• We wound off a couple of yards of wire for a new lamp flex.我们解开几码电线作为新的电灯花线。
• He gave his biceps a flex to impress the ladies.他收缩他的肱二头肌以吸引那些女士们的目光。

4 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。